Local search is of such a high importance these days, especially if you are operating a local business. Your SEO agency Sydney really needs to nail down your local SEO strategy in order to dominate the SERPs and drive relevant traffic to your website.
It is important to know that when it comes to local search, Google usually ranks a business on prominence, relevance and distance. In order for you to hold true dominance in local search you will need to make use of your Google My Business Listing.
It is certainly safe to say the many businesses do not take fully advantage of their listing, either because they don’t know enough about it, or they simply don’t care. But, at the end of the day if Google is providing something for you to use, then you take it because this is the same company that will be ranking your site.
It is so important that you have your listing fully operational and updating regularly. This is because these profiles are still an influential factor for local search results. As well as this, it can improve your visibility on the SERPs and in Google maps.
Your Google My Business listing is also free, so why wouldn’t you want to take full advantage of it? So, have a look below at some of the tips you should take into consideration when optimising your Google My Business listing.
The Basics
First things first, you need to get the basics right and ensure your listing is set up properly and has a solid foundation. Obviously, you will need to claim and verify your listing, if your business already has a listing. If not, you will need to set up and verify.
The verification process involves Google sending you a letter by mail, to the business address, with a code. This will confirm you to be the owner of the business listing and it will be made public, with you in control of the information.
Once everything is verified, you can start filling out the information, the more the better! Ensure the information you include is as accurate as possible and it is up to date. For example, during Christmas and Easter, will you have different opening hours?
There is nothing more annoying for a customer then seeing on your listing that your opening hours are 9am-5pm and they turn up at 9am only for them to realise you don’t actually open until 10am.
As well as information, you should also look to include photos. Images on your Google My Business listing tend to be overlooked, but they can really make your listing stand out and work wonders to improve your click through rate.
The type of image you should include are; your logo and a couple of shots of your actual store (if applicable). Remember, these images need to be kept up to date as well. So if you make tweaks to your logo, or do a renovation – make sure you showcase the changes on your listing.
As well as this, from January 2018, you can even add videos to your listing. Videos are certainly the way of the future simply because they are so engaging for users. If you have the resources for a professional video to be included on your listing, then it is highly recommended.
Google Posts
Your basic information may not change that regularly on your listing, but that doesn’t mean that you can set and forget it. You should look to ways to keep your listing active and constantly updating. The best way to do this is to include Google posts, this can be particularly impactful if your website has a blog section.
Your Google posts are shown up on your listing like a carousel, allowing users to swipe through them looking at all your recent posts. When including Google posts, it is important for you to include an image, as well as an engaging title and link to the relevant page on your site.
There are all different types of Google posts that are available to try out, so make sure you choose the right one for what you are including. The types of Google posts are:
- What’s new
- Events
- Products
- Offers
Reviews
Reviews are such an important thing for your business, especially if it is a local one. More and more consumers are relying on the assistance of a review to determine their purchase decision.
So make sure you take every opportunity you can to get your customers to leave a review. Remember, that you should respond to reviews as well, even the negative ones. Potential customers will look more favourably if you show genuine care with your current customers, and not just simply ignoring them.